Shock-absorber.



i WILLIAM BANKS THOMASv oE ELMIRA, NEW YORK.

SHOCK-ABSGRBEE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 15)-15.

Application led February 9", 1915. Serial No. 7,073.

To r/Zl whom it may wom-ern Be it known that I, lYILLIAiI B. Tetonas. acitizen of the Inited States, andresident of Elmira, county of Chemung.State of New `York. have invented certain new and useful Improvements inShock-Absorbers, of which the following is a specification.

Hy invention relates to shock absorbers and has particular reference toan anti-reaction spring suitable for use on Ford automobiles, but it isto be understood that its application is not limited to such machines.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device whichwillvprevent the excessive reaction of the main body spring on anautomobile, thereby causing the latter to ride much easier. rl`he deviceis an attachment which can be readily placed on an automobile withoutchanging any parts ot the automobile.

The above and other objects and the novel features of the device will beapparent from the following description. taken in connection with thedrawing in which.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of so much of an automobile asis necessary to show the application of my invention thereto: Fig. 2 isa rearelevation of the automobile showing the attaclnnent in placethereon: Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the attachment embodying myinvention; and Fig. Je is an illustration of another form of theinvention.

Referring to the drawing. 10 designatesr the body of the vehicle orautomobile which is supported at the rear from the driving wheels 11.The driving wheels 11 are connected together by a casing 12 whichincloses the usualV drive shaft connected to the engine by suitablegearing and by a suitable transmission shaft inclosed within thetransmission shaft casing 13 which'extends forwardly from the casing 12and longitudinally of the body 10. The transmission shaft casing 13 isrigidly connected to the axle casing 12 at the center thereof.

Means for yieldingly supporting the body 10 on the wheels 11 consists ofa series of superposed flat leaf springs 11 which are bowed upwardly andextend longitudinally of and above the casing 12. The ends of the spring14 are pivotallyconnected to links 15, which links in turn are pivotallyconnected to lugs 1G located at. the ends of the casing 12 near the hubsof the wheels 11. "lfhc bowed portion 1T of the spring lil locatedmidway between the ends of the spring is usually fitted in a saddle orother suitable stud 18 secured to the under side of the body 1U. thespring being held in place by U-bolts. plates oi' the like.

I have. found that thereaction of the spring 1-1 is sometimes too greatvand in order to modify and arrest the reaction I have provided anattachment which may be located in place by simply detaching certain ofthe fastening means for the spring ll and clamping the attachment inplace. no special changes in the spring or any other parts of thelautomobile being required. rPhe attachment or shock absorber as shownin Fig. 3. consists of a flat steel spring 2O or may consist of leaves.At one end the lait' or leaves 2() are securely attached by means of abolt 21 to a casting or mounting 22. The castinfr 22 has a hollowopening 23 to receive the inner end of the bolt and has outwardl' anddownwardly extending anges 2l and 25 at opposite sides of the cavity22%. The flanges 21 and'25 are each provided with holes 26 to receivethe ends of the U- bolts 2T and 2S on opposite sides of the center lineof the vehicle. The flanges 24 and together with the central part 2!)are designed to engage the underside of the bow part 1T of the spring 11to provide an ex. tended bearing surface. The U-bolts 2T and 2S engageover the lugs 30 and 31 of the saddley 1S and their ends lit through theholes 26 in the flanges 2l and 23 and are held in place by thenuts 32.In the foregoing manner the attachment is secured in place on theunderside of the vehicle body and beneath the main vehicle spring 11 at.a point directly over the rear axle.

rThe leaf or leaves which comprise the spring 2() extending forwardlyunder the body and longitiulinally thereof. being disposed directlyabove the longitudinally extending trz'insmission shaft casing 11). Thefront free end 33 of the plate 20 is connected to the casing 13 by meansof a strap or Similar adjustable device 3l, which strap extends -througha retaining eye S35-on the upper side of the spring 20. The strap formsa loop around the casing 13 and may be adjusted so as to suitablytension the spring 20.

In Fig. l I have shown a spiral spring 3G connecting thefree end of thespring 20 and the casing 13 so that. the free end of. the spring 20 andthe easing 13 will be yieldingly connected. The construction of thearrangement in Fig. is otherwise the same as that shown in Fig.

1n order to prevent the excessive vibrationof the spring 30 I havesecured a device on the undersidel thereof to limit its movement. Thedevice? forlimiting the movement of the spring '20 consists of a leaf orsteel` spring 37 considerabljvi shorter than the spring '.20 andfastened at one end by the bolt 2101' the same securing means that holdsthe spring Q0 in place-jon the casting" apparent frointhe foregoing',desci'iptioin The application,ofI the device to a Ford automobile is asimple operation. 1t

is merelvr necessari"V to remove the four nutsy and clamping platesfromthe U-bolts ivhicli usually .hold the spring' le inplace and'instead of the clampingi plates to secure the casting 22 in position,as indicated Then the 'strap 3l 1s passed around tliei transmissionshaft casing 13 or the end of the spring:

36 is secured-hito said casing. trequires only about fifteen minutes toapply the attachment to the vehicle.4 The device serves to prevent theexcessive reactionot' Athe main body spring 14 and protects said bodySpring in that it ivill prevent the breaking of such springs due to thereaction vvhieh such springs are subject to.

i While I have shoivn and described the inl `vention in detaill do notWish to be limited to the exact construction as it is clear that minorchanges may be made therein ivithout departing from the spirit of theinvention. i

Having` described the invention what is claimed and desired to besecured b v Letters-Patent is,

1. An attachment of the class described comprisingr a flat spring plate,a mounting;y

therefor having an upper surface shaped so which itis attached, saidplate having one.

end fastened to said mounting, and a device depending' from the oppositeoi' free end of said plate whereby the latter may fie yieldinglyconnected'to a part of the aiili ii'iobile. 2. )i shock absorberattachment 151er automobiles compJisinpr a latspringi giate, a mountingvtherefor having` an uppersurfaiife shaped so as to approximatelv lit inthe concave portion of the body.' spring' olf an automobile to ivhich itis attached, said plete having one end thereof fastened teY 'e n derside of said iiioiintiiie', a device f I,end ing from the opposite orfree end or said plate ivhei'ebv the 'latter ma);v be .vieldablvconnected'to a part of the automobile, and a second plate havingl oneend rilejidlv` coniiected to said moiiiitiiig' and haviner a partthereof extending to a point. iiitii'inediate `the ends of said lla'tspring pla and spaced a slight distance beloiv the latter to limit theaction thereof. A

3. In a vehicle, the combination of a rear axley casing, a rigid memberextending longitudinally of the vehicle and connected to the center ofsaid casino: a main bod) spring boived abovesaid axle casing-1' andhaving` its endsv connected adjacent the ends of the lattel', a vehiclebody` a saddle on the under side of said bodv5 said saddle littine' thecenter part of the convex portion of said body spring, 'a shock absorberiiioiintinzer ha ving a part fitting the concave portion of said bod;vspring at a point opposite said saddle, means securing said, saddle.bodvv spring' and mounting together, a slioelt absorber springearried'bv said mounting; and extending forivardl)v thereof above saidrigid member` and a device at the for ard end of'said shock absorberspring' adapted to vieldabluiv connect the latter to said rigid member.

.ln testimonyv whereof I aliix in v signature in. presence of tivoWitnesses.

WI'LLAM BANKS THOMAS, Witnesses: n

Gnoiion H. lhii'riin'r, Flinn lil Viioaiiifns.

